Everyone Needs A Friend
by Miss. E. Thompson
Summary: Unattached Drifter Christmas is not a holiday that Dean spends alone, but with a friend that he made a long time ago. Who knew that getting busted could be the best thing that could ever happened to him.


"Dude, you only have three Christmas cards on your mantle?" Sam asked as he spotted his family's Christmas card sitting next to two others above G's fireplace.

"Yeah so?" Callen asked.

"And one's from Janvier? The one armed psychopath that wants to kill you?" Sam asked incredulously as he picked up the card to look at it.

"You didn't get one?" G asked with a smirk. Sam rolled his eyes as he set the card back on the mantle.

"And who's this one from?" Sam asked as picked up the third card. The card was one of those generic cards that you could probably find at every drug store in the world. The front had a cheery looking tree on it with colorful ornaments and a bright yellow star. Sam flipped up the card to see a messy script scrawled over most of the open space available on the inside.

_Not my favorite holiday, but thought I would make a small chick flick and send a card. See you for our holiday in a couple months. Your pick this year. Happy Holidays, Dean_

"Dean." G said simply as he put on his jacket. Sam read the card twice before looking at G confused.

"What does he mean by 'our holiday'?" Sam asked as he put the card back on the mantle and G continued to smirk.

"Unattached Drifter Christmas." G said like it was obvious knowing how it would get under Sam's skin.

"What the hell is 'Unattached Drifter Christmas'?" Sam asked making G laugh as he walked past him and out the door. Sam continued to ask questions through the rest of the day when he got the opportunity. 'Who's Dean', 'how do you know him', 'why won't you answer my question', 'what's unattached drifter Christmas'. G was having more fun with Sam's suspense then he knew he should, but it served him right for snooping through his cards. By the next day Sam had recruited Kensi and Deeks into his questioning and they were driving him up a wall.

"Fine!" G exclaimed as Deeks launched into a new hypothetical scenario about who Dean was and how G had met him. Deeks had just jumped into a tale about G meeting Dean while he was undercover as a male stripper and that they were secretly lovers when Callen hit his breaking point.

"Since your curiosity is killing you." G glared at his co-workers.

"I met Dean while I was in foster care" G started. The amused smiles that had been on Sam and Kensi's faces slowly dropped and Deeks stopped mid-word, realizing that they had been poking at a sore subject for the last two days.

G had been in foster care since he was too young to remember and had been bounced around through almost 40 different homes before he turned 18. He'd landed in a group home for unruly boys when he was about 16. He'd been in the home for about four months when the town sheriff had pulled in. G had watched from the barn with the other boys when the sheriff had pulled a struggling teen out of the car and dragged him inside. The teen was cuffed and was obviously in a good amount of trouble. The other boys had began whispering to themselves while G snuck away and slipped into the house.

G stood on the other side of the wall while the sheriff talked to Sonny. Sonny tried everything to help the boys who landed in his care. According to the boys that had been there longer than G, Sonny never turned a boy away, no matter what their back story was. Sonny accepted them with open arms and provided them with anything they needed.

G peeked around the wall, seeing the cop wearing sunglasses talking to Sonny while the kid he'd seen being dragged into the house in cuffs sat angrily on the couch.

"Steven Hewlett caught him red-handed stealing up at his store." The sheriff explained to Sonny.

"So what'd he take?" Sonny asked as he eyed the kid sitting in front of him.

"Get this – peanut butter and bread." The cop scoffed and something in Sonny's face softened as he continued to assess the kid glaring at the wall in front of him.

"Okay. And how about family?"

"Well, his old man called." The teen sitting on the couch looked up, now actually listening to what the cop was saying.

"Once he found out what happened, he said let him rot in jail." The cop seemed a little too amused as the kid looked back down at his knees.

"Judge is off on a fishing trip. Boy's too young to leave in County. So we thought it best he stay here."

"I don't see why not, man." G hadn't had any doubts that Sonny would let the kid stay and obviously neither did the cop as he finally took his sunglasses off and revealed a blooming black eye underneath.

"Appreciate it, Sonny."

"Where'd you get the shiner?" Sonny asked. The kid sitting on the couch started laughing. Obviously the cause of the swelling mess that was now the cop's eye.

"You think that's funny?" The cop demanded.

"I think you're slow." The kid taunted and G smirked. The cop angrily took a step toward the kid.

"You sucker punched me!" The cop yelled.

"You wish!" The boy spat was a smirk.

"Come on, now!" Sonny said loudly as he stepped between the two.

"Billy, I got this, buddy. It's all right." Sonny said to the cop calmly. The cop was still pissed but he left and the kid sitting on the couch waves sarcastically after him as he walked out the door.

"You shouldn't have done that, kid." Sonny said calmly after the door had shut and the cop was getting into his car.

"Yeah? Why? Because he's a cop?" The kid asked snidely. Sonny smirked and uncrossed his arms with a chuckle as he walked closer to the kid.

"Because when you make him mad, he leaves with the key." The kid's face fell when he realized the mistake he's made and he looks down at the cuffs. He shakes his head and sighs angrily. Sonny holds the small smile on his face as he leans forward and grabs up the paperclip that was laying next to the ashtray on the coffee table.

"Eh, don't sweat it." Sonny says and squats down in front of the kid and takes his cuffed hands to pick the lock. G could see Sonny stop and look over the kid's hands before speaking again.

"Deputy do that?" Sonny asked concerned as he looked up to the kid, who scoffed and shook his head.

"What, your old man?" Sonny tried again and got the same response.

"Well, then, how'd you get it?" The kid turned his head and looked at Sonny the same way most of the kids in foster care did to the new 'parent' when they got to a new home. There was a glint in his eye that said he wanted absolutely nothing to do with the man in front of him and that there was nothing Sonny could do to make the kid respect his authority. A sort of special defiance that existed in people who had learned to never trust authority figures from experience and coaching. G was genuinely surprised when the kid replied instead of remaining silent.

"Werewolf." He said and Sonny kept a level eye with him for a long moment before backing off.

'Okay." He relented and popped the cuffs with the paperclip before taking them off and laying them on the coffee table. Sonny stood and walked out of the room. G ducked into the hallway before Sonny could spot him snooping.

"So, how do you know I won't just run away?" G heard the kid ask.

"Because you're hungry." Sonny said simply as G heard him rummaging through the cabinets.

"No, I'm not." The kid replied.

"Well, then, why'd you steal bread and peanut butter?" Sonny asked.

"So, what is this place, anyway?" The kid replied instead of answering.

"It's for boys like you. You work the land and it teaches you some discipline and responsibility. Keeps you out of trouble." The kid laughed in reply.

"That's lame."

"Beats jail. Come on. I fixed you something to eat." G heard Sonny move to the table and then a couple hesitant foot steps as the new kid moved too.

"So, kid, you got a name?" Sonny asked. It sounded like he had a mouth full.

"We all got names don't we?" The kid asked and Sonny chuckled.

"Okay, but what's yours?"

"Dean, you?"

"Sonny." I think your gonna like it here Dean." Sonny said.

"I wouldn't get my hopes up." Dean replied. G decided then was a good time to slip back out the door, any longer and the other boys were bound to notice that he'd slipped off and left them with all the work for the day. _

The new kid, Dean, had been quiet the entire time the other kids had been in the house. Straight through dinner and tv time, even when the other boys tried asking him questions he refused to talk. They might as well have been talking to the wall, but they didn't mind and just directed conversation to someone else. A lot of kids were like him when they first got to a new home, it was almost like a defense mechanism. If you didn't talk and didn't make connections then it didn't hurt as much when one of you left and you were all alone once again.

When it was time for lights out, G went up to his room without a fuss. He was already in bed when he heard Sonny coming up the stairs and another set of feet were coming up behind him. G had a pretty good idea where Sonny was headed. The house had three extra bedrooms for the boys. The three younger boys, Antonio, Max and Liam shared the bedroom closest to Sonny's which was next to the stairs, Robbie was in the room across the hall and a little further down. When G had shown up four months ago Robbie had shared the room with three brothers, twins James and Jackson and their younger brother Jonathan, but they'd been picked up by a relative of some sort a couple weeks ago. Then there was G's room at the end of the hall, the other four beds were empty and had been the whole time he'd been here.

G knew Sonny would have Dean share with him, just because Dean seemed to be about the same age and Robbie wasn't good at sharing a room. Before Robbie had been in foster care he'd been an only child and hadn't had to share anything while G had been in and out of homes since before he could remember and it made no difference to him whether he shared the room or not though it was nice the couple times he got a room to himself. G heard the footsteps come all the way down the hall before there was a light knock.

"Yeah!" G called as he sat up. The door squeaked open and Sonny walked into the room. Dean stayed in the doorway, obviously not wanting to stay but feeling forced.

"Hey G, gonna have Dean bunk with you, man." Sonny said and G nodded.

"Figured. Already made up the bed." Sonny looked over at the beds and smiled when he saw that G had gotten the sheets and a couple pillows out of the closet and made one of the beds against the wall.

"Thanks man." Sonny walked over to the closet on the far end of the room next to G's bed and pulled out some sweats and a t-shirt. Dean looked confused.

"You're not the first kid to show up here without anything. I always keep some extra clothes around. These'll have to do till I go into town next week." Dean didn't seem happy about that explanation, but didn't say anything.

"There's a spare toothbrush and some other stuff in a bag in the bathroom for you. Other than that I think you're set. Good night boys." Sonny walked back across the room, handed Dean the clothes and closed the door behind him as he left. Dean had stepped just far enough into the room that the door wouldn't bump him as it shut. Dean stayed where he was till he could hear Sonny walking back down the stairs.

Dean's eyes roved over the room and G could see that they were lingering on the window that was between two of the beds. He knew what Dean was thinking, it was the same thing he'd thought when he'd first showed up.

"If your gonna leave out the window I'm not gonna stop you. Did the same thing when I got here. The only thing I'm gonna suggest is that you wait till Sonny gets you those clothes next week. It may be Summer, but it's colder than it looks out there, Sonny'll get you a jacket when he gets your clothes." Dean looked confused again as he looked at the relaxed teen sprawled out reading a book.

G looked up from his book and saw the look on Dean's face. He smirked before setting the book down and sitting up again.

"What? You think you're the first kid that's thought about going out that window? If you do I can tell you, it wouldn't be the first time."

"Then why doesn't he block it off? He's got to know that's the easiest route of escape." Dean said as he walked over to the window and looked down to see the window was above the porch roof and from there you could walk over and jump onto the top of the shed and from there onto the ground.

"Because he knows you won't go far. Sonny isn't our warden and he doesn't try to be. He always puts the runners in here." Dean looked at G critically.

"I take it you're one of those runners." Dean said as he set the clothes on the foot of the unoccupied bed and sat down on the mattress.

"Yup, first week popped out the screen and made it three miles before an old lady spotted me walking down the road and called the cops. They dropped me back here. Sonny didn't even yell, just said the shower was open if I needed to clean up. Tried again a few days later, I made it about a mile before turning back. This place isn't so bad. Of course, that's if you decide to stay." G picked his book back up and flipped the page.

"How many places you been too?" Dean asked as he watched how laid back G was about the whole thing, he acted like everything was normal. G thought about it for a minute.

"Closing in on 40. I've been in the system since I was little. This is the best place I've been to. You lucked out." G replied and flipped another page.

"So, G? What's that short for?" Dean asked. He didn't know why he cared. He didn't give a rat's ass about the other kids. It was just that there was something different about G and he couldn't put his finger on it.

"I don't know." G said and shrugged his shoulders.

"Whaddya mean, you 'don't know'?" Dean asked incredulous.

"I mean I don't know. Like I said, I've been in the system a long time, somewhere along the way they lost record of my name. All they have for my name is G. Callen, so everyone just calls me G." G gave another shrug before going back to his book. Dean decided he didn't want to ask anymore questions that night. _

G and Dean turned out to be good friend, if that's what you could call them. Neither boy talked much, especially about the past. Dean respected that G didn't ask many questions, but was willing to answer when Dean asked one. G knew about Sammy, but only because Dean had had a nightmare and G had shaken him awake. When Dean startled awake he had called out for Sam, G had returned to his own bed and let Dean calm down. Dean had thought G was back to sleep when he suddenly asked a question.

"Who's Sam?" G asked, Dean looked over and could see G laying awake staring at the ceiling. Dean took another couple deep breaths before answering.

"He's my brother." G nodded.

"He okay?" Dean thought about it for a second.

"Yeah, should be. When I got dropped off here, the cop said that he'd spoken with my dad, means he knew Sammy was alone and went to get him." G nodded again.

"You have any siblings?" Dean asked and G shrugged.

"Not to my knowledge." Dean felt a pang of sadness for G. He knew that the guy had never had a family that he could remember, but he almost hoped there had been someone out there that he knew he had a connection with that like Dean did with Sammy.

"You know you've been here a month." G said and Dean was confused as he turned to look at G again.

"I'm aware."

"Sonny'll take you into town tomorrow. He always takes you to lunch once you've been here a month."

"Why?" Dean asked as he sat up in bed again. G shrugged.

"I don't know. Just something he does." Dean was still confused but he nodded and laid back down.

"Hey, Dean, don't be too surprised if I'm gone when you get back." G said and Dean shot back up in bed before leaning over and flipping on the lamp between the bed.

"What?" Dean demanded.

"You running away tomorrow?" Dean asked and G shook his head.

"Nah. For the last two years this woman, she said her name's Hetty, she tracks me down every couple months. She's some sorta Fed, the homes never fight her wanting to take me out for a couple days. I'll be back for dinner, but she'll hang around for a couple days before she disappears again." Dean looks at G astonished at what he's saying.

"Wait you're telling me, this random woman you don't know, just randomly shows up every couple months and hangs out with you for a couple day? Man, that sounds creepy, Fed or not." Dean said and G laughed.

"Yeah, I guess it does. She says she sees potential in me. Tracks me down every couple months and teaches me these things like I'm some sorta jedi and she's my Yoda, before she disappears again." Dean laughed as he flopped back onto his bed, the spring creaking as he did.

"Dude, I think your life's more messed up than mine!" Dean said and G rolled his eyes, but he smirked.

"Thanks Dean, I always need that pointed out." G said sarcastically and Dean stopped laughing.

"What's so messed up about your life? I mean, I get that your dad kinda ditched you here and that's pretty messed up, but it's not that bad." G said and Dean stared at the ceiling for a second, listening to the crickets chirping outside the open window.

"I think there's too much to count." Dean said softly and G looked over, his brows furrowing.

"Come on man, it can't be that bad." G said. He didn't mean it like a challenge, but that's how Dean took it. G was asking more questions tonight than he had in the previous month that Dean had been there.

"My mom died when I was 4." Dean said and G hummed. Dean wasn't the first kid G had met that had lost his mom young.

"Don't hum like that, it's not that simple. She burned, pinned to the ceiling of my brother's nursery. I was the one that found her, her screams woke me up and I got to the room before my dad. I saw her, she was dead before I got there, her stomach had been slashed and while I was standing there her body all of a sudden burst into flames. Dad forced Sammy into my arms and told me to run, Sam was only six months old. I think my dad tried to save her, but I know she was already gone." Dean dared to peek over at G. G looked concerned and maybe a little sympathetic, Dean looked away a quickly, he didn't want anyone's sympathy.

"I carried Sammy outside and when the smoke and flames became too much dad followed. There was a bang as something collapsed inside. Dad had scooped the two of us up and turned at the noise. When I looked up there was a dark figure in the window and it just disappeared almost like it was never there, but I know my dad saw it." Dean said, he could feel the tears at the back of eyes, but he refused to cry, he wasn't some little kid, he couldn't allow himself to cry.

"You sure it wasn't a firefighter or someone who had run in to help?" G asked and Dean nodded.

"Oh I'm sure. There was no one besides dad and I in that room when we left and to get there someone would have had to run passed us into the house. The fire trucks didn't even get there till a couple minutes later. After that dad kinda snapped. He started asking questions and people thought he was nuts till someone believed him, they told him that it was a demon. After that, dad took Sammy and I and went on the road. He's been learning and hunting monsters ever since, ultimately he's searching for the demon that killed my mom." G looked at Dean in disbelief and disgust, he'd had him going there for a second with the sob story about losing his mom, but monsters? How stupid did Dean think he was?

"Monsters, dude? Really? You had me going there for a second, but..." G cut off as he scoffed and flopped back down into his bed. Dean got angry as he turned to G.

"I'm not lying! I should have known better than to tell you! No one would believe dad, so why me? No one believes us till we're pulling their asses out of the fire." Dean leaned over and clicked the lamp back off before burrowing into his bed angrily.

"Then prove it!" G demanded and Dean sat back up.

"It's not that simple, G! What do you want? You want me to pull a ghost out of my ass and show you how to kill it?" Dean demanded, throwing his hands in the air.

"Sure, show me what you got." G replied.

"Fine! I'll find a case in the morning. I'll show you." Dean said.

"Fine!" G replied and both boys laid quietly staring at the ceiling for the next few hours unable to sleep with their argument replaying in their heads.

When the sun came up G was the first to get up and head to the bathroom while Dean stayed in bed a little bit longer. He was beating himself up on the inside. Why had he bothered telling G? He knew G wouldn't believe him. No one ever did. Maybe it was because G seemed to actually be a friend, someone he could confide in? Maybe it was because in some ways G reminded Dean of Sam. He missed Sammy and G, he seemed to share the laid back, scholarly attitude that Dean was so used to.

After a couple extra minutes Dean threw back the sheet and climbed out of bed. Sonny always kept a stack of the weeks news papers on the end table in the living room, maybe Dean could find a case in there and if not then the daily paper would be delivered in a couple hours and Dean would be able to scour it. Maybe if he found something Dean could get Sonny to let him visit the library and get the research he would need to prove this all to G.

Dean made his way downstairs. It was really early and no one else was down yet, hell only he and G were awake. Dean took a seat next to the end table and began sifting through the last week's worth of newspapers. It was a small town and therefore there wasn't much news and the newspaper was only a couple pages, mostly made up of the obituary section, the help wanted ads and comic strips. Ninety percent of the actual 'news' fit on the front page and from there the last ten made it onto page two. So far Dean had seen only one possible case from last Monday, a man that had been passing through town had been found at the bottom of the stairs at the local bed and breakfast. He claimed that he hadn't tripped, but had actually been pushed. A believable claim except for the fact that with the exception of the elderly owner of the bed and breakfast who had been in the kitchen, no one else had been in the house and she hadn't even heard anything till the man hit the landing at the bottom of the stairs, somehow not hitting a single stair on the way down.

Dean looked up when he heard someone on the stairs and saw G. He quickly looked back down at the paper in his hand, his temper quickly flaring once again. He heard G walk into the kitchen and rustling around before he came back into the living room a couple minutes later.

"What are you doing?" G asked as he took a seat on the other end of the couch.

"You wanted me to prove it, this is how you prove it." Dean grumbled as he moved on to the next paper.

"You prove it by reading the newspaper?" G asked sarcastically as he bit into a piece of toast.

"No." Dean sighed.

"To prove it, you have to find a case. Cases don't just pop up in front of you and ask you to solve them. Going through the paper you can usually find a case because reporters love writing about stories that don't make sense or where the evidence points to the opposite of what everyone wants to believe." Dean explained and G sighed in irritation.

"Well, find anything yet?" G asked as he took another bite.

"Maybe, but I'm hoping there's something a little more cut and dry." Dean flipped to the next page. G rolled his eyes.

"You're being choosey with your 'case'?" Now Dean rolled his eyes.

"Duh. For all intents and purposes, you're a rookie. You have to teach a rookie the basics before going on a challenging hunt. You wouldn't want a rookie cop policing a town without any training would you? I'd rather not have one of us end up dead." G had to concede, the thought made sense and he could see how it would be a bad idea. G decided to play along.

"So what do you look for?" Dean looked up from the paper to G, a little confused with the change in attitude.

"You really want to know?" Dean asked doubtfully.

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to know." G answered. Dean nodded before moving the paper so G could see.

"Mainly you look for anything that could be considered weird." Dean grabbed the paper with the article about the bed and breakfast.

"This is the maybe." Dean pointed to the article on the front page.

"Guy claims to be thrown down the stairs when the only other person in the house is the old woman who owns the place and was downstairs the whole time." Dean looked to G and could see that he was doubtful.

"What if the guy just tripped and saw the opportunity to make some money in a lawsuit?"

"That would be likely if it wasn't for the owner's statements. She says she didn't hear anything till the guy hit the landing. You've fallen down the stairs before?" Dean asked and G nodded.

"You telling me that you don't hit any of the steps on the way down? Unless this guy stood at the top and jumped with some major force, he would have had to have been pushed to not hit any of the stairs in the way down and there's no way that some old lady had enough strength to sending a grown man flying like that." G still looked doubtful but he was really looking at the paper that Dean had handed him. Now that Dean had pointed it out, the story did seemed like more than some guy trying to get a pay day, but he still couldn't believe what Dean was saying. Ghosts? Monsters? How was he supposed to believe that without having some hard core proof in front of him?

"Alright. What now?" Dean smiled.

"I'm going to finish going through these papers and make sure there's not a more obvious case." G finished his breakfast watching Dean go through the last week's worth of papers with a pencil, he's circle one thing or another before going back and crossing it out. By the time Sonny came down Dean had given up on finding a different case. He knew that odds of finding another case in the area was slim and he'd just have to consider himself lucky for having found a case at all and that it was most likely a ghost. Sonny had looked at the two boys strangely before going into the kitchen.

"Alright, next?" G asked when he could hear the banging of pans getting pulled out as Sonny started breakfast.

"You said Sonny's going to take me to town today? I'll ask him if I can stop by the library. Look into the history of the bed and breakfast to see if there was a murder or something on the property or in the house or who the ghost could be. Makes it easier to get rid of the ghost when you know who you're dealing with." G nodded before asking the question that had been nagging him since he started to see the logic behind Dean's actions.

"How do you get rid of a ghost?" Dean hesitated, knowing the truth would probably make G run to Sonny begging the Dean be put in the nut house.

"Salt and burn." Dean said. Telling G the ingredients to get rid of the ghost would be reasonable without telling him that they'd have to dig up the body. G still looked confused but Sonny walked into the room.

"Hey boys, do me a favor and wake up the others. Breakfast's almost ready." Dean nodded, heading to the stairs without a word while G hesitated, wanting to ask more questions, but knowing they'd have to wait till tonight now. G nodded and followed Dean.

"I'll get Robbie, you get Antonio, Max and Liam. Robbie usually wakes up swinging." Dean nodded again and ducked into the room that held the three youngest boys. Liam was eight and Antonio and Max were ten, all three had been in the system for years. According to Sonny Liam and Max had been in the system since they had been taken away from their mom five years ago and Antonio since he was born.

G moved down to Robbie's room. Robbie was 13 and had only been in the system for three years, before hand he'd been an only child with loving parents, unlike the rest of them. Someone had broken in to his house during the night, he'd woken up when the burglar had broken a window. He'd been in the hall when the burglar had come up the stairs. The guy pistol whipped him when he yelled. The yell had woken his parents who came running, only to be shot. Now when anyone caught him off guard, Robbie came up swinging. Sonny called it PTSD and made sure that the younger kids had little opportunity to startle Robbie.

G called to Robbie from the door way till he stirred and let him know that breakfast was almost ready and to get up. Robbie grumbled for a moment before climbing out of the bed and walking past G to the bathroom.

When they finished breakfast Sonny sent the boys out to get their morning chores done, but stopped Dean as he walked past. Dean acted surprised even though G had told him the night before what was going to happen.

"When you finish your chores, come in and get cleaned up. We're going into town." Dean just nodded and followed the other boys out.

"G!" Dean called and ran a little to catch up.

"When does your mystery woman show up?" G rolled his eyes at the term.

"Hetty always shows up right before lunch." Dean nodded and the two set to work.

When they got back inside, Dean showered and pulled on some clean clothes before following Sonny out of the house and into his truck. Hetty had come a little later to pick up G. She had been teaching G martial arts on her last visit and had said that they would be continuing that this time. It was a long, tiring day before Hetty had brought G back to Sonny's. She never stayed for dinner no matter how many time Sonny offered and she always showed up just after breakfast the next day.

When dinner was over G and Dean headed upstairs while the younger boys and Sonny settled in for some time in front of the TV. Dean headed to his side of the bed and pulled out the pile of papers that he'd gotten from the library earlier.

"So what did you find?" G asked as he closed the door and moved toward Dean's bed.

"Pretty much what I was expecting. This isn't the first time something like this has happened. Looks like twenty years ago before the house was a bed and breakfast, a man 'fell' down the front steps of the house and cracked his head open, died before his wife got home. Fifteen years before that, a guy 'falls' off a ladder and breaks his neck." Dean says as he lays out the papers on the bed to show G.

"Okay, but this all looks like a couple accidents. Accidents like these happen all the time Dean."

"But it's a pattern. All of them were men in their mid-thirties, all married, all have 'accidents' that having them falling. The first two, the falls weren't from heights high enough to kill someone, but their injuries were consistent to falling from the top of a two story building onto concrete." Dean pushed two more articles to G, both have the extent of the men's injuries listed and Dean had highlighted them. G sighed before looking back up to Dean.

"Alright, what else did you find?"

"The earliest death was thirty years before that and it's the only one that breaks pattern. A woman killed after falling down the main stairs of the house."

"Okay, so it's not just men. We're barking up the wrong tree." G said and Dean shook his head.

"No it means we found the right tree. Because it was a woman instead of a man, I dug a little deeper and found this." Dean pulled out the a copy of the front page of a news paper with the mug shot of a man.

"Okay?" G said as he looked away from the paper.

"The man's name is Victor Greggs. Now look at the article about the woman." G skimmed through the article and found the woman's name, Martha Greggs.

"Same last name." Dean nodded and pulled out another sheet of paper, a marriage license.

"They were husband and wife. The article about Victor states that he was charged with the murder of his wife. Victor was an abusive husband, beat Martha half to death before throwing her down the stairs. The fall broke her neck, killing her instantly."

"Okay and how does this connect?"

"Ghosts are born of violent deaths or unfinished business. Martha fits that perfectly. Killed the very way these men are being killed. Her ghost is stuck in that house and she's taking her revenge on whoever she sees fit." Dean explained.

"Alright, but why these men?" G asked. Dean fanned the pictures of the three men and Victor out for G to see.

"My guess is because they look like Victor." G studied the pictures and sure enough the four men looked like they could be brothers. Victor's picture wasn't in color but he had dark hair and light colored eyes with a mustache and messy hair. The other three men had dark brown hair, blue eyes and all had mustaches. The picture of the men had been posed so their hair had been combed and probably gelled, but if they lived there or were staying for more than a night, they wouldn't look like that always.

"Well she should obviously know these guys aren't Victor." Dean just shrugge.

"Ghosts tend to lose logic. She wouldn't care that these men aren't her husband. They look like him and she wants revenge for what he did to her. It explains the span of time between deaths. Not every man that lives or stays in the house would look like Victor and if they did vaguely resemble him, they wouldn't all have mustaches or hair long enough to be messy. In the last 65 years, only three men have had the right combination on features to spark her rage." G looked at all the evidence on the bed in disbelief. If Dean hadn't explained everything and drawn the connection, G would never have come to the same conclusion.

"Alright. How the hell are we going to stop her?" G asked.

"Like I told you earlier, salt and burn."

"And how are we going to do that?" Dean kept evading his question and it was making G uneasy.

"Don't freak out on me." Dean said and G looked at him like he was crazy. You never say that unless what you're about to say is freak out worthy.

"You have to dig up her body, cover it in salt and something flammable and then toss a match. It's the only way to make sure she doesn't hurt anyone again." G couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"You want to go grave digging?!" G exclaimed and Dean lunged forward to cover G's mouth.

"Shush! What the hell man? You want to tell the whole house?" Dean slowly pulled his hand away from G's mouth.

"No, I don't _want_ to dig up a grave, but it's the only way I know how to get rid of a ghost. Fire and salt are purifying elements, puts the ghost to rest. My dad says it gives them peace."

"But you don't know for sure?" G asked.

"No, the supernatural is a whole world that barely makes sense and there's a lot of things that we don't know why they exist or why the things we use work against them. Like ghosts, iron repels them. Any sort of shapeshifter can be taken down with a silver bullet to the heart. A number of creatures have to be torched." G felt like his head was spinning.

"So how do you expect to salt and burn Martha Greggs' body without Sonny or the cops catching you?"

"_Us_." Dean stressed.

"You wanted proof. You have to come too." G wanted to face palm himself. He wanted to go back to last night and just tell Dean that he believed him.

"Then how do you expect _us_ to get across town, dig up Martha, burn her corpse, and get back here without anyone finding out we were gone?" Dean grinned.

"Well we're not going to do anything till your mystery lady leaves. Can't have you too tired to pay attention to her Jedi training." G reached across the bed and socked Dean in the arm.

"Ow! What the hell dude?"

"You don't get to make fun of me for that."

"Fine, but we still aren't doing anything till she leaves." G nodded and stood up from the bed. His eye caught the symbols carved into the bed posts, he'd watched Dean carve them the second day he was here, but didn't know how to ask about them. Was almost afraid to. Dean noticed and sighed.

"You can ask, you know. Sonny actually asked about them today." Dean said. G looked to Dean, he didn't seem upset about it.

"What'd you tell him?"

"He thought it was devil worship or heavy metal related. I just told him that it was a family thing. They're actually protection symbols. They work to keep things out, like the thing that killed my mom." G then began to study the symbols, they did look like some of the symbols he'd seen at the record stores.

"That's all you told him? It's a family thing?" G asked not believing that Sonny would just let it go like that.

"No, then he asked me if I was part of the mob or something." Dean laugh and G snorted.

"I don't see you as a runner for the mob." G said and Dean grinned.

"Neither do I. I have a problem with authority. At least that's what dad calls it."

"No offense man, but your dad seems like an asshole." Dean's smile fell from his face and he stood up.

"Why would you say that? My dad's a hero." Dean glared at G as he turned to fully face Dean.

"You can be a hero and an asshole, Dean. You made a mistake and he's punishing you by letting you get caught in the system? How does that _not _make him an asshole?"

"I guarantee my dad knows exactly where I am. And _this,_ living here with you and Sonny, has been the most normal I've had since my mom died. We haven't stayed in one place for more than a couple weeks since. I've been here a month. This is the first time I've been enrolled in a school for a whole month and not missed a day, I'm actually catching up for once. Being here isn't a punishment." G felt like a lead weight had been placed on his shoulders. He'd always thought of the foster homes he'd lived in as punishment, punishment for not having parents, punishment for not being perfect or good enough to be adopted, but here's Dean, a kid with a dad and a brother, a family and being in the system is the best thing to happen to him since he was four years old? G couldn't imagine how bad living with Dean's father must be that living with a stranger and a bunch of other kids wasn't a punishment, but a chance to just be a kid. ** _**

It was a week before Hetty left and the boys had the opportunity to sneak out. Dean had stashed a couple of shovels, a screw driver and a bag of road salt in the shed next to the house, G still wasn't quite clear on the plan, but he knew Dean wasn't going to let him back out. He'd demanded proof and Dean was going to make him see the light come hell or high water.

"Dude what's the full plan?" G whispered as they climbed the stairs after TV time.

"Don't worry about it." Dean whispered back. The boys got ready for bed and climbed into bed. Sonny always came around to make sure every one was in bed at 9, after that they would sneak out. That was as much as Dean had told him and he wasn't feeling as confident about it as Dean.

Sonny came through at 9 as usually, the boys waited another half hour before quietly slipping out of their beds and pulling on jeans, shoes and sweatshirts. Dean had oiled the window so it wouldn't squeak when they opened it. Dean opened the window with only a small squeak and slipped out onto the porch roof first as G was putting clothes into their beds to make it look like they were still in bed should Sonny wake up and check on them at any point while they were gone. G followed Dean out the window and then slid the window shut behind them. They quickly jumped off the roof and onto the shed and onto the ground. Dean jimmied the lock on the shed with a paper clip that he'd grabbed out of Sonny's office. He handed G the shovels, a couple flashlights and a small can of gas that Sonny kept in the shed for the mower before tucking the screw driver and a pair of gardening shears into his pocket and hefting the bag of salt into his arms.

"What now?" G asked as they crept behind the barn and across the field.

"You're going to the neighbors, four doors down." Dean replied.

"Why four doors down specifically?"

"When Sonny took me into town last week there was an ambulance at the house. The other day when Sonny was reading the paper he made the comment that he was sad to see that the old man had passed. I read his obituary, his wife passed years ago and they didn't have any kids. There's no one there to notice if his vehicle goes missing for a couple hours." G looked at Dean is amazement.

"Are you sure you're not with the mob?"

"What?" Dean asked, flashing G in the face with his flashlight.

"You're like a full fledged criminal off one of those cop shows." Dean chuckled.

"Nah, I've just learned to be observant."

"So what are we going to do when we get to the neighbors?"

"We're going to hot wire his car to get us across town to the cemetery." Dean explained. If G hadn't been freaked about this before he was completely freaked now. Not only were they sneaking out, but they were going to dig up a body and steal a car to get there. G was no saint he'd had a couple run ins with the law while bouncing from foster home to foster home, but nothing like this, nothing that would get him thrown in jail!

Dean and G trudged to the neighbors while making sure to avoid the road and back yards. Luckily Sonny lived on a very quiet road with mostly older folks living in the nearby houses. Most were sound asleep and only residents used the road, so no traffic to highlight their presence and alert Sonny or the police. When they got to the neighbor's G held the flashlight while Dean picked the lock on the old man's truck, talking G through the process the whole time. Once Dean had the doors unlocked G sat on the passenger's side to point the light under the steering wheel so Dean could hot wire the car, again talking G through it step by step like there was going to be a quiz after. As the truck roared to life G was now sure that Dean could do anything. He'd proven himself a very competent criminal.

Dean stuck to back roads and made his way through town to the cemetery without incident. When Dean turned off the headlights the area fell into complete darkness sending G's other senses into overdrive and putting him on edge. His eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, but it wasn't much of an improvement given that being able to see the creepy cemetery wasn't much better than just imagining the creepy cemetery.

"Don't let your door slam." Dean warned as he opened the creaky old door of the pick up truck, G hopped out and gently shut the door, not letting the door latch. Dean lead the way into the cemetery before clicking on his flashlight and began searching the headstones. G and Dean spent a couple minutes scanning the stones before Dean spoke.

"G, this way." Dean nodded his head and G began following him. They continued scanning the stones for a couple minutes before G asked the question that had been bugging him.

"Are you sure we're going in the right direction?" Dean nodded.

"How?" Dean stopped and pointed his flashlight at the date on the closest headstone.

"See the death date?" Dean asked and G hummed with a nod. Dean walked over to the next row and flashed his light on the next closest stone.

"See the date here?"

"Yeah." G said.

"Cemeteries generally have a lay out. When they start a cemetery they tend to start on one side and work their way across. Where we came in was pretty much the center of the cemetery. See how the dates on the stones are slowing going backward. That last stone was 1959, this stone is 1955. Martha Greggs was murdered in 1930, so she has to be buried somewhere over here." Dean made a vague motion to the rows of headstones ahead of them.

"Oh." G said and the two started moving again, this time with G looking at more than just the names on the stone, but at the dates. It took them another twenty minutes but Dean eventually spotted Martha's stone.

"Now the fun part." Dean said as he set his flashlight on the stone and set to work digging. G wasn't used to the exhaustive labor of digging up a grave, but was keeping up okay. Slow help was better than no help and Dean wasn't going to complain.

"Dude, I didn't realize how far down six feet was." G complained when the two were almost down to their waists in the grave. Dean chuckled.

"Makes chores look easy doesn't it?" Dean teased while G snorted, he'd take Sonny's chores over this any day.

G was the first to hit something solid, hitting the top of the coffin as he went to dig up another scoop of dirt. Dean made quick work of the rest of the dirt around the edges of the coffin lid while G climbed out of the hole. Dean broke the latch on the lid before throwing his shovel out of the hole and climbing out himself.

"Brace yourself." Dean warned. Before G could ask any questions Dean used his shovel to flip open the lid to the coffin and releasing the vomit inducing smell that had been trapped inside the coffin for the last 65 years. G gagged and moved away from the grave. He just made it to the tree line before loosing his dinner.

When he came back over to Dean he still felt sick, but was pretty sure he wasn't going to have another round with his dinner. Dean had gone back to the truck and gotten the gas can and the bag of salt.

"You okay?" Dean asked as he ripped open the bag of salt with the sharp edge of the screwdriver and G nodded.

"You're lucky. She's been dead for over 60 years, I've helped my dad on jobs where they've only been dead for a couple of weeks, boy, that smells was enough to send me to the woods two times before I'd returned everything I'd eaten in the last two days." Dean joked before handing G the small can of gas they'd grabbed from the shed.

"I'm going to pour the salt and then you pour the gas." G nodded and Dean set to work. When Dean was pouring the last of the salt into the hole the temperature seemed to take a nose dive. G could suddenly see his breath and Dean froze when he realized that he could see his too.

"Aw shit!" Dean yelped and pulled out the rusty screwdriver from his pocket. Dean spun in a circle.

"Dean, what's wrong?" G asked, only to freeze when a woman appeared to the left of Dean. All of her seemed pale almost like he could see through her, but couldn't at the same time. He could see her face, it was Martha Greggs, she looked just like her picture that Dean had found, but instead of smiling she was scowling.

"Dean!" G cried and pointed making Dean turn and swing the screwdriver. Martha disappeared, the screwdriver seeming to cut her image in half as she turned into a mist.

"Hurry up and pour the gas." Dean instructed and G fumbled to follow his directions as he struggled to comprehend what he'd just seen. Martha reappeared as G was almost half way through dumping the gas onto her body. G didn't see her before she threw him away from the grave, sending the can of gas one way and G another. Luckily G didn't hit a head stone, just landing hard on the ground and having the wind knocked out of him and Dean quickly caught her with the screwdriver again and making her disappear. Dean hurried over to the gas can and poured the rest into the grave. Throwing the can aside he dug out the matches he'd snatched a couple days ago and struggled to light one. As Dean managed to finally light one the temp dropped again, but Dean didn't bother to look just lit the rest of the pack and dropped them into the grave and stepped back as the bones ignited. G sat up in time to see the ghost of Martha scream as she seemed to be engulfed in flames at the foot of the grave.

Dean was breathing hard while G couldn't seem to breath at all. Dean came over and flopped on the ground next to G, trying to slow his breathing. The two sat there for a couple minutes as the temperature returned to normal and the fire blazed in the open grave.

"You okay?" Dean finally asked and G nodded.

"Yeah, I think I am."

"Good, help me fill the grave." Dean said and pushed himself back onto his feet and walked back over to the grave. G watched him like he was crazy, they'd just battled with a ghost and he was more worried about reburying the corpse? Regardless G got back to his feet and helped Dean fill in the grave. Filling the grave was quicker than digging it, before long they were back in the truck and driving back to toward Sonny's.

"So you believe me now?" Dean asked quietly while he was watching the road ahead of him.

"What kind of question is that?" G asked, staring at Dean in bewilderment. Dean shrugged, but G could make out the smirk on his face.

"I mean, you called me crazy when I said that this kind of thing existed. Was just wondering if I'd managed to change your mind." G snorted and shook his head.

"Man if that didn't change my mind then nothing would. I saw her, Martha, with my own two eyes! She threw me a good hundred feet! I'm a believer man and I'm really sorry about what I said to you." Dean wasn't smiling when he glanced over at G.

"No need to apologize. Most people don't believe until they see it for themselves. It was unreasonable of me to expect that you would be the exception.

The boys returned the truck to the neighbor's house and trudged back through the woods to Sonny's house, stopping at the shed to store the tools they had used and the bucket under the eve troth to wash their faces and hands before climbing the porch rails to get back inside. The room was exactly like they'd left it, the only difference being the alarm clock's glowing red numbers read the early hours of the morning instead of late hour of the night like when they'd left. The boys changed back into their clothes for bed and crashed. _

In the following weeks G and Dean were inseparable friends, Sonny rarely saw one without the other. Dean got a girlfriend and she'd even talked him into taking her to homecoming. It was the night of homecoming that everything came crashing down. G had been sitting on his bed teasing Dean while he got ready when Sonny had knocked on the boys' door and walked in.

"Oh, look at you. You clean up good!" Sonny cheered with a big grin.

"Thank you. You know, uh ... I've never actually been to one of these school dances before."

"Yeah. Look, about that, Dean, your old man's outside …. and, man, he's really something. I tried to tell him what a big night it was for you, Dean, and ask him if he could come back later, but he just said to tell you he had a job, said you'd know what that means." G watched as Dean's face dropped before he nodded. Dean wasn't an emotional guy, but in that moment he looked like he could cry but tried to tough it out. He took a deep breath and looked away from Sonny. Sonny looked like he was trying to decide whether to be pissed or sad as he watched Dean fight with himself. G didn't know what to do for his friend. It was bad enough that Dean's dad had finally decided to show, but he made it worse by ruining this night. G wanted to go outside and try to convince Dean's dad that he had to stay, if only for tonight, but G knew that if Sonny couldn't convince him then no one could.

"You know, after I got out of jail, this place gave me a second chance, and it's done the same for you, too." Dean couldn't say anything, just nodded.

"So if you want, I'll stick my neck out for you, and I'll fight for you to stay." G perked up at the thought, hoping against his instincts that Dean would choose staying with G and Sonny over his family. Before Dean could say anything they all heard a car horn from outside and Dean walked over to the window. Sonny stepped closer behind him and G stood to peek out the window. A guy was standing against the side of a black car and a young looking kid was playing with something out the back window. G felt his heart sink. G remembered how Dean how spoken about his brother and what he'd said about his dad. G knew the decision Dean would make and it wouldn't be for himself, it would be so he could protect his brother.

Dean laughed, though G could hear how strangled it was. Dean turned back toward Sonny and held out his hand. A tear trickled out his eye as they shook hands.

"Sonny... ...thank you – for everything. But I have to go." Sonny and Dean hugged before Sonny left the room. It was only then that Dean turned to G.

"I guess you where right. Your dad did know where you were." G said. Dean nodded.

"I told you this place wasn't punishment, but I think I was wrong." G looked to Dean, not understanding why he had changed his mind.

"I'm going to miss this place. I'm gonna miss you and Sonny, hell even Robbie." Both boys chuckled but it was over quickly.

"Punishment is going to be missing being here, knowing what it's like to be completely normal and knowing I'll never have it again." G stood up and pulled Dean in for a hug. They hugged for a long moment before G could bring himself to pull away.

"I'm going to miss you too, Dean." Dean nodded and wiped at his face. Dean started to head for the door, but stopped and turned back.

"I hate to do this, but could you do me a favor?" Dean asked and G immediately nodded.

"Sure anything man."

"Would you take Robin to homecoming for me. She was really excited about this, I don't want to ruin her night." G nodded. Going to homecoming was at the bottom of his list of priorities, but he'd do it for Dean.

"Yeah, man. And I'll explain what happened." Dean nodded and took a deep breath.

"Thanks man." G nodded and Dean left the room. G watched from the window as Dean left the house and climbed into the black car. He was barely inside before the car was roaring down the driveway and out onto the road. _

G took Robin to homecoming that night. She had been more than surprised when G had shown up and had cried on shoulder when he explained what had happened. G wasn't surprised that Dean hadn't told her anything about his dad and the life he lived, G didn't tell her anything about the supernatural, but he did tell her about the other things Dean had told him. Whether Dean wanted it to be or not, the night was ruined. Robin thanked G for showing up, knowing it was better than being stood up.

G thought that the night Dean rode out of town in his dad's black car was going to be the last time he saw him, but to G's surprise he did. While G was working with the FBI he happened to spot Dean in the crowd around a crime scene. He'd been acting as a reporter to investigate a case, G had been more than happy to hand over the information Dean had needed so he could get the job done as quickly as possible. Dean had offered to have G tag along for old time's sake, but G had denied.

They'd shared phone numbers then and they'd been in spotty contact every since, doing their best to meet up at least once a year for their drifter holiday. Dean was the purest friend G had and G hoped that Dean felt the same about him. G pulled his attention back to his team mates.

"I could argue that Dean's childhood was just as bad as mine, if not worse." G commented and Deeks' eyebrows disappeared into his mop of hair.

"Seriously, man?" He asked and G nodded leaning back into his chair.

"Yeah, Dean's mom died when he was young, she died in a house fire. Dean was four and his brother was still a baby. His dad was a former Marine and probably had a screw loose before the fire, but after his wife died he cracked. Took Dean and his brother and went on the road hunting monsters."

"Monsters?" Sam asked in disbelief. G nodded.

"Guy convinced himself that a demon had killed his wife. From then on he treated Dean like a soldier, taught Dean and his brother everything he'd learned while in the Marines and everything he picked up while 'hunting'. He pretty much had Dean brainwashed that his sole purpose in life was to take care of his brother, that his brother was his responsibility. By the time I met him Dean could rival men twice his age and experience, and yet Dean never spoke ill of his father, was loyal to a fault." G shook his head. Dean's story always made G wish that he'd gotten in the system and stayed.

"That sounds terrible." Kensi whispered and G nodded.

"He was the only person I ever met that I wished they wouldn't go back to their family. Dean's dad used the system as punishment."

"When'd you meet him?' Sam asked.

"We were sixteen. Dean got caught trying to take a five finger discount at the local store for bread and peanut butter. The home I'd been in was a working farm for troubled kids, sheriff dropped him off after his dad had called and told them to let him rot in jail. The guy who ran the place, Sonny, is an ex-con, he believed in giving kids like us a second chance.

Being in the system was the first time that Dean had stayed in the same place for more than a couple weeks. Sonny and I thought that Dean's dad had ditched Dean for good, but Dean knew better. He told me that his dad knew exactly where he was, that he'd come get him when he felt Dean deserved to come back.

After three months I think Dean was even starting to believe that his dad wasn't coming. He'd gotten used to being a normal kid for once. His dad showed up the night of homecoming. And I'll never forget what Dean said to me that night, he said that being in the system wasn't his punishment, his punishment was being allowed to be normal for a while and then having it ripped out from under him. 'Punishment is going to be missing being here, knowing what it's like to be completely normal and knowing I'll never have it again'. His dad waited till Dean was happy before coming to take him away " The room was silent and Kensi looked near tears.

"Damn." Deeks muttered.

"Where's Dean now?" Sam asked.

"He still doesn't stay in one place long. In a way he still does what his dad trained him to do." G said twisting the truth to make it sound like Dean was getting a semi-happy ending.

"He and his brother now do a sort of private investigation for especially weird cases. Things that cops brush off or don't make sense."

"Can we meet him?" Kensi asked and I chuckled.

"He's not going to be in town for a while. Maybe." The team took that answer and we moved on with our day. I thought they'd all forgotten about it till months later when we were headed home for the night on Valentine's Day.

"So what's your plans, Callen?" Kensi asked as I put on my jacket.

"Meeting a friend for a drink, you?"

"Is it Dean?" Kensi asked, ignoring my question. I was surprised that she remembered.

"Yeah actually."

"You think Dean would mind if I tag along?" Kensi asked and I chuckled.

"Oh I'm sure Dean would love it." Kensi followed me to the quiet bar on the edge of town that Dean and I had been meeting up at since I'd made the move to LA. I could see the way that Kensi was eyeing the bar, the place was wore down and you could hear the old rock music blaring from the parking lot. Kensi stayed close as we walked inside, scanning the bar till I recognized the guy in the worn leather jacket at the bar. The stool next to him was empty with a beer already sitting in front of it. I walked up behind Dean and made sure to speak loudly to be heard over the music.

"Hey pal, you wouldn't know what do if you don't have a date on Valentine's day do ya?" Dean didn't turn but I could hear the smile as he replied.

"Well this unattached drifter tends to find a bar with plenty of good company and orders a drink." Dean spun as he finished. I grinned at the smirk on his face. Dean stood and we embraced in a hug ending with a pat on the back as always. As we pulled away I could tell when Dean noticed Kensi.

"Hey G, we're going to have to change the name of our holiday if you got a girlfriend." I laughed and patted Dean on the back once more before turning so I could include Kensi in our conversation.

"Oh I'm still unattached. This is my co-worker Kensi. She wanted to meet the only guy that sends me a Christmas card that isn't my partner or a one armed psycho." Dean laughed before holding up both arms.

"Well that must be me." He said and extended his hand to shake with Kensi.

"Nice to make your acquaintance Kensi. I'm Dean."

"Nice to meet you Dean." She smiled and Dean grinned back.

"So you an unattached drifter?" Dean asked, trying to be subtle. Kensi smiled at him coyly.

"Not so much a drifter, but definitely unattached." Dean's smile got a little brighter.

"Well then. I'm glad you joined us. What's your poison of choice?"

"They make martini's here?" Dean and I shared a look before laughing.

"Sorry hun, but it's not that kind of bar. Beer or liquor?"

"Scotch on the rocks then." Dean winked and motioned for the bar tender and ordering Kensi's drink before motioning to the stools and taking a seat.

"So what have you been up to G? Yoda still got you in her legion of Jedis?" Dean asked as he took a long drink from his beer. I chuckled and nodded.

"Yoda?" Kensi asked and Dean cracked up.

"Yeah, inside joke." I tried to explain away until I heard a voice behind us.

"Well I hope Yoda's not too late to join in the fun." We all turned to see Hetty standing behind us with her eyebrow cocked. Dean laughed getting off his stool once again and stooping to give Hetty a hug.

"Nope you're always right on time Hetty, as always." Dean replied moving down a stool so Hetty could have a seat.

"Yes, well I've been keeping an eye on you for a very long time. Would hate to miss seeing you in person." Dean shook his head.

"And if you weren't so much trouble, I would have brought you into my legion of Jedis a long time ago." Dean smiled warmly at Hetty before gesturing to the bar tender.

"Round of whiskey!" Dean yelled gesturing to the four of us and received a nod.

"May the party begin!" I saluted when we received our shots.

"May the party begin!" They echoed as we knocked back our drinks.


End file.
